THE ELECTION period has begun and the House of Representatives did not lose a minute to approve on third and final reading some important bills, including the proposed creation of the Department of Economics and Development Planning (DEDP) under House Bill (HB) No. 10625.
When I first read the list of the newly approved bills, this particular bill on DEDP caught my attention because I was curious what will happen to the National Economic Development Authority (NEDA) when both caters the same mandates and functions.
A careful perusal of HB No. 10625 shows that NEDA will be replaced by DEDP following the latter’s enactment. Also, it will absorb NEDA’s powers and functions, applicable funds and appropriation, records, files, equipment, facilities, supplies, property, and personnel.
The DEDP will “serve as the primary government agency tasked to prepare and recommend national economic development goals, policies, and programs, and monitor the implementation of the same.”
That being the case, it is mandated to formulate the country’s continuing, integrated, and coordinated policies, plans, and programs for development, foster a culture of panning across all government organizations; ensure the vertical and horizontal alignment and coherence of the national and subnational policies, plans, programs, and projects; ensure alignment of appropriations for programs with national and subnational development plans towards optimal use of financial resources; and oversee the country’s public investment program.
The bill establishes the Economic and Development Council which is headed by the President of the Philippines as the Chairperson. It will be “responsible for directing and providing overall policy direction on economic, financial, social, and environmental matters to achieve inclusive and sustained economic growth.”
I reckon that the most important functions of the Council, which is provided under Section 45 of the bill, are to formulate and implement policies, plans, and programs that would promote economic development and address development concerns of national importance; and to initiate the formulation of proposals for the enactment of laws that may be necessary for the integration and implementation of economic and development policies, plans and programs or any of their component parts.
The agencies attached to NEDA are transferred to DEDP and shall continue to operate in accordance with their respective charters. These include the Commission on Population and Development, the Philippine Institute for Development Studies, the Philippine National Volunteer Service Coordinating Agency, the Philippine Statistics Authority, and the Philippine Statistical Research and Training Institute.
The Public-Private Partnership Center of the Philippines and the Tariff Commission are also attached to the DEDP but “for administrative purposes only.”
By this, we expect that the government will enhance its information-sharing and coordination among concerned agencies. For the meantime, the approved measure will still be transmitted to the Senate for appropriate action./PN
